


Take a Chance

by Seraph_Novak



Series: Destiel One-Shots [29]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Awkward Flirting, Claire Ships It, Day At The Beach, Dead Jimmy Novak, Dean and Kids, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Hero Dean, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Meet-Cute, Moving On, One Shot, POV Castiel, Paper Boats, Strangers to Lovers, Struggling Parent, Suicidal Thoughts, Twins, Uncle Castiel, implied marriage, jack ships it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 14:03:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12889473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seraph_Novak/pseuds/Seraph_Novak
Summary: Castiel Novak isn't coping. Losing his brother is one thing, but having to care for the twins after his death? He just isn't ready. He needs a lifeline. Something,someone... He can't do this alone.Perhaps the handsome stranger at the beach is the ray of hope he's been waiting for? Fluffy one-shot (with a sprinkling of angst).





	Take a Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! It feels like a while since I've posted, but I've actually been writing constantly during this past month or so... I'm working on a few longer stories, so I haven't really had time to write many one-shots. But this idea just came to me the other day, and I thought it was pretty sweet. So here we are! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the read. As always, all kudos and comments are very much appreciated. Thank you! ♥
> 
> P.S. Who else is super excited about Danneel coming into the show?! I've been waiting so long for this! I just hope her character doesn't come between Dean and Cas ;)

Castiel preferred the beach when it was quiet, on days like this. The sky was a morose shade of pale grey, ready to open up at any moment, but at least the sand was still soft and cool between his toes. It was a feeling he relished, one that kept him grounded and calm when the rest of the world was spinning in turmoil. It reminded him of summer days spent by the water with his brother, their parents dozing on matching towels not too far away. If he closed his eyes against the slate skies and empty sand, he could almost picture the bustling crowds and lapping waves, the distant whiff of hot dogs and ice cream making his stomach growl. It wasn't quite the same, but the bitter sweet memories still brought a smile to his face.  

The beach was never that busy anymore, especially on weekdays; Castiel had made a rather rash, impulsive decision to pull the kids out of school for the afternoon, for no reason in particular. He knew the importance of making the most of what precious time you were gifted in life, and never taking the little things for granted. Jimmy would have wanted him to be reckless now and again, if only to keep the twins happy. He kept hoping that happiness would return naturally to him as well, but ever since the crash... At least the kids were having fun. That was all that really mattered.

"Look, look, uncle Cassy!" Claire called to him from the shore, her little arms flapping about. "It can really float!"

Castiel smiled and trudged his way across the sand. Jack was bent over the water, frowning in concentration as he steered the tiny paper boat in a straight line. He was much like Castiel in that way, always trying his best to keep everything in order. Claire had definitely grown up more like her father, with the fairness and beauty of her mother, but Castiel felt equally close to them both. These children were the only things keeping him together at the moment. He's not sure how he would have coped without them, or what he would have done if they hadn't needed him around. Sometimes he felt like Jimmy was blackmailing him from beyond the grave; it was like he could hear his brother's voice in the back of his mind, the warning wave of his finger audible in each word.

_Don't do anything stupid, little brother, or these kids will be left on their own_

That was Jimmy to a fault, always looking out for the people he loved.

"I told you I was an excellent boat maker," he said, reaching out to detangle the wind-knotted locks of blonde hair falling over Claire's shoulders. He turned to Jack and gently nudged the small of his back. "Make sure you don't let go. We don't want the sea to claim it, do we?"

Jack shook his head, his blue eyes suddenly wide and round. "Of course not, uncle. I'll look after it, I promise!"

"I have no doubt you will."

"Can  _I_  have a go?" Claire tugged at Castiel's trenchcoat. "Jack's been hogging the boat all day! It's not fair, uncle Cassy! It's not fair!"

"You're just gonna lose it," Jack countered. "You're far too careless!"

Castiel tilted his head towards the younger twin, his brows lifted in the same way Jimmy's used to do whenever the kids were acting up. "That's not very nice, Jack. Claire is just as responsible as you are."

"That's not true! You said that lying is a kindness sometimes. You're just trying to make her feel better!"

"Hey, Jack -"

"You're such a butthead!" Claire cried, sniffing back the angry tears spilling down her cheeks. "I am  _too_  responsible! You're just a stupid nerd who doesn't know how to have fun!"

"Liar!"

"Dork face!"

Jack got to his feet with a roar, the water splashing against Castiel's trouser leg. "You're always getting into trouble!" he shouted. "You're just jealous that I'm the good one, and you're nothing but a pooper!"

"Pooper?" Claire scoffed. "You're so lame. No wonder dad never wanted to hang out with you!"

Castiel jumped in between the twins, ready to break up another brawl. They'd been fighting like this ever since the funeral; it was understandable for them to start lashing out, but it didn't make it any less difficult to deal with. All he could think about was how better Jimmy was at this sort of thing. His brother would have saved the day with a few kind words and the promise of milkshakes, but Castiel couldn't stand adopting the parenting techniques of his late sibling. If he was going to be a father to these kids, he'd have to find his own way of dealing with moments like this.

"That was very cruel, Claire," he said, trying to keep his voice from wobbling. "You know your dad loved you both the same."

"But he -"

"Jack is in the wrong as well. It was unkind of him to assume that you couldn't look after the boat, but I'm sure he was just being overprotective."

"You always take his side!"

"I'm not taking sides."

"You like him better than me," she wailed. Her cheeks were stained with red blotches now, the tears gushing down her face like an angry storm. "You like him 'cause he's boring like you! All you ever talk about is stupid smart stuff, and I  _hate_  it! I miss my mom! I miss my dad!"

Castiel licked his lips, trying his best to keep the lump in his throat from gargling his words. "I know you do, Claire. I miss them too. Every single day... But I'm doing everything within my power to make things better, for  _all_  of us. It's not always easy - it's  _never_  easy, in fact - but if we work together, I'm sure we can figure this thing out."

Claire stared down at the ground, her toes wiggling sadly beneath the sand. "I just wanna play with the boat," she whimpered.

"I know," Castiel said, placing a hand behind her head and pulling her against his chest. "I know, Claire-bear. I know."

Jack wrapped his arms around them both, sniffling softly into Claire's jacket. Castiel pulled the twins closer and squeezed his eyes shut. There was something wet on his cheeks, but he refused to believe they were tears. He couldn't allow himself to cry in front of these kids; it was his job to be the strong one. He was alone in his grief, with only himself to lean on. But that was what being a parent was all about: the selfless instinct to put your children first, even if it hurt like hell.

"I'm sorry, Claire," Jack whispered. "You can play with the boat. Just... don't lose it."

Claire wiped her nose along her sleeve and hiccupped. "I won't. Scout's honour!"

"But you're not a Scout."

"Jack," Castiel said with a watery laugh. "Just let your sister play with the boat, please. You can even help her navigate."

"Okay," he sighed. "It's right over - wait, where did it go?!"

Castiel caught sight of the boat bobbing on the distant waves, just a touch too far beyond dangerous waters. If he weren't with the kids, he probably would have risked the swim, but he didn't dare leave them parentless for a second time. Jimmy would never forgive him for being careless with his children.

"Oh no!" Claire gasped. "You let it get away! You're such a, a... What's it called? Hippopotamus!"

Castiel pinched the bridge of his nose. " _Hypocrite_ , Claire. The word is hypocrite. And please don't start fighting again."

"You're the one who started crying!" Jack exclaimed, his cheeks pink with angry blotches. "You distracted me!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did -"

"Stop it, both of you!" Castiel snapped. The owlish look on their faces made him soften his tone. "It's nobody's fault. The wind is making the current stronger than usual; it was bound to take it away eventually."

Claire shoved an accusatory finger in Jack's face. "But he -"

"I'll make you another boat," Castiel said before the argument could flare up again. "I'll even show you how to do it yourselves. You can make an entire fleet, if you want to."

"What's a fleet?"

"It's a -"

"Coming through!" Castiel was suddenly knocked aside by a heavy blur of movement. It was a man, stripped down to his boxers and undershirt, splashing through the water. He watched with an open mouth as the man shot him a wink over his shoulder, and dived into the salty waves.

"Who was that?" Jack asked, slightly in awe.

Claire grabbed his hand and started to jump up and down "He's gonna drown, uncle Cassy!"

"He's fine," Castiel said, though his heart was thudding with fear for the strange man swimming further and further away. He tried to keep his cool as he got on his tiptoes, searching for a shape amongst the grey water. He was just about ready to call the coastguard when Jack suddenly grabbed his other hand and pointed ahead, his eyes locked on the dark figure slicing through the water with ease.

"He's over there!" Jack called out. "He has our boat, uncle! He  _rescued_ it!"

Castiel narrowed his eyes, instinctively putting an arm in front of the twins as the stranger stumbled onto the shore. "Yes," he said. "Yes, he did."

"Crisis averted," the stranger grinned. Castiel couldn't help but notice the way his wet shirt clung to the angles of his body; the man was a peculiar combination of both muscular and soft, with a tiny bit of pudge pressing against the sopping fabric of his shirt. He was undoubtedly attractive (those thighs alone were enough to make Castiel ten degrees hotter than earlier), but he was still a stranger nonetheless. He couldn't let his male hormones distract him from his duty as a parent.

"That was very kind of you," he said, allowing himself a smile. "But where did you come from? I didn't see you before..."

"Oh. I swear, I wasn't stalking you," the man said, then blushed. "I mean,  _obviously_  not! I dunno where that came from. I'm not a creeper, I just... I saw your kid let go of the boat, so I thought I'd lend a helping hand. You seemed to have  _yours_  pretty full at the time."

Castiel shot the twins a teasing glare, then offered the stranger his hand. "Well, thank you. You spared me an afternoon of bickering from these two. I appreciate it."

"Hey, no problem," the man took his hand and smiled. Beads of sea water rolled onto Castiel's coat sleeve, but he was too bewitched by the stranger's dazzling smile to care. "Name's Dean, by the way."

"Castiel," he said, then gestured to his side. "And this is Claire and Jack."

Dean gave him a sideways glance, almost as if he were asking for permission, before crouching down to the twins' level. The handsome smile he was wearing turned slightly goofy, a playful air slipping into place. It was a different kind of smile than the one he'd reserved for Castiel; perhaps it was wishful thinking, but Castiel couldn't help wondering if there had been a hint of flirtatiousness in the way Dean had smiled at him. He was most likely imagining things, conjuring up images in his mind to satisfy the loneliness gnawing at his chest. There was no way someone  _that_  attractive would waste his time with a single parent on the wrong side of thirty.

"Hey, there," Dean beamed. "You guys drop something back there?"

Claire giggled. "The  _boat_ , silly!"

"Oh, yeah. This boat?"

"Mhm."

"You know, this is a mighty fine boat," he said, grinning up at Castiel. "Some damn good craftsmanship right here. I mean, it's a little bit on the soggy side now, but I'm sure she'll be up and running in no time."

Jack frowned. "She's made of paper, mister. She's incapable of running by herself."

"Smart kid," Dean chuckled. "You the captain of this vessel then?"

Claire wrinkled her nose. "What's a vessel?"

"It's a fancy-pants word for boat," Dean said. "Makes you sound extra smart, don't it?"

"Not really."

"Well, can't blame a guy for trying."

Castiel placed a hand on Claire's shoulder, sighing fondly. "Be nice to Dean, Claire. You too, Jack. He did a very brave thing just now. A  _stupid_  thing - one I never want you to replicate - but very brave, nonetheless."

"Right," Dean nodded, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "Never try to do that yourselves, alright? The water's a tricky sonofabi- I mean, pooper."

Jack snorted. "Claire thinks that saying pooper is lame."

"What?" Dean said, feigning shock. "Lame? C'mon, Claire... Only the  _coolest_  kids get away with saying pooper. You think the coolest kids are lame, huh?"

Claire chewed her lip in thought. "My friend, Alex, told me the cool kids say fu-"

"Fudgesticles!" Dean interrupted, his 'light blush' now the equivalent of a forest fire on his face. He was obviously quite embarrassed about leading the conversation to swearwords in the space of twenty seconds; he probably thought that Castiel was one of those oversensitive parents who banned the word 'boobies' at home. But, truth be told, it actually felt pretty good to see someone else being less than perfect around the twins. It made his own mistakes feel less horrific, like it was okay for him to screw up now and again.

"Okay, kids. That's enough," he said, willing both of them to be on their best behaviors with a smile. "Say thank you to Dean for rescuing your boat."

"Thank you, Dean," the twins said in unison, swinging their arms and giggling like a couple of, well,  _kids_. Castiel could tell they were quite fond of Dean already, and probably didn't want to leave so soon. The poor man was being watched like a circus animal.

"You're welcome," Dean grinned. When he got back to his feet, Castiel noticed the blue tinge to his lips, and the way his body was swaying slightly. He looked absolutely freezing.

"Dean," he gasped, leaning the man against his shoulder for support. "You're shivering. Why didn't you say something?!"

Dean swatted the air and scoffed. "I'm good, man. Just gimme a sec."

"Here, take my coat," he slipped out of his trenchcoat (despite Dean's many protests) and draped it over the sopping man's shoulders. The sting of the icy cold wind hit him in an instant, but he could only imagine how cold Dean must be feeling right now. Taking a swim in the ocean when Fall was coming to a close wasn't really a smart move to make. "Are you okay? Would you like me to call a doctor?"

"What? No," Dean shook his head. "No, man, I just... I guess the adrenaline's wearing off. All that excitement, you know?"

Castiel smiled and carefully lowered Dean to the ground, rubbing some warmth into his arms as he coaxed him down. "Rescuing paper boats  _does_  sound thrilling," he said, aiming for humour. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"To warm me up?" Dean licked his lips. When he noticed Jack and Claire watching them closely, he schooled his features and said, "A hot drink wouldn't go amiss... You, uh, got a flask or something? I mean, only if there's enough for you guys. I don't wanna -"

"Nonsense," Castiel said, turning to find the satchel bag he'd brought with them. He was grateful for the excuse to turn away for a second; Dean's implications hadn't flown completely over his head, and now his mind was full of different ways in which he could help the man to 'warm up'. The fact that his niece and nephew were stood right behind them didn't help the raging blush staining his cheeks. "Drink this."

Dean took a generous gulp of hot tea and sighed. "Whew... That feels good. I still can't feel my toes, but at least my tongue's now burnt."

Castiel chuckled. "Would you like me to call someone? Or at least drive you somewhere?"

"Nah, it's alright. My baby's waiting for me."

"Your baby?" Castiel said, feeling his heart sink. "Is your child around here somewhere? Your girlfriend, maybe?"

Dean frowned at the look on his face, then spluttered a laugh. "I mean my  _car_ , man. Don't worry. There's no girlfriend... Or boyfriend."

"I wasn't -"

"Yeah, you were," Dean gave him a wink. "Whaddya say, kids? You think your dad's flirting with me or what? 'cause I'd kinda like to ask for his number, but I don't wanna waste my time if he's not interested."

"I'm not their father," was the first thing Castiel could think to say. "I'm their, their  _uncle_ , actually. Their parents - it's a long story."

Dean seemed to get the idea; the teasing twinkle in his eyes subsided, his smile turning somber. "I'm sorry, man. That's tough. You guys seem pretty solid though."

"We take each day as it comes."

"That's all you can do."

There was a hint of understanding in Dean's expression, as if he'd been in a similar situation himself. Castiel was overcome with curiosity - a genuine need to just  _know_ this man, in any way possible - but asking for his life story would certainly be overstepping. At least before they'd had their first date. The decision to give Dean his number had apparently already been made, probably from the very moment he'd dove into freezing water to rescue a stupid paper boat. Letting this stranger walk out of his life without even exploring the possibilities of what this could lead to wasn't even an option.

"I think he's flirting with you," Claire said, snapping Castiel out of his daze. He hadn't realized that he and Dean had been staring at each other this whole time.

Dean laughed. It was a rich, rumbly kind of laugh that filled Castiel with warmth. "You think so, huh?"

"Definitely," Jack said with a nod. "That's the way mother and father used to look at each other."

Castiel swallowed thickly, feeling the tears stinging his eyes. Dean was still smiling at him; with his body warming up, and his lips back to their usual colour, it was even more beautiful than before.

"That so?" Dean said. Up close, Castiel could see the tiny flecks of colour in his eyes; a gorgeous swirl of greens and coppery shades of yellow. He had a kind face, despite the chiseled jawline. His lips were full and freshly slick with the slide of his tongue, liked he'd just been kissed. Castiel almost felt intimidated by his beauty. How was he supposed to give his number to a man like this, with the face of a God and the heart of a saint? The only imperfection he could find was the slight crookedness of his nose, and even  _that_  was endearing.

_Stop doubting yourself, little brother._

Castiel clung to the voice in his head, a single tear slipping down his cheek as the words resonated.

_Live a little. Be happy. Take a chance on a stranger. It might just change your life._

"Thank you, Jimmy," he whispered.

"Jimmy?" Dean lifted an eyebrow. "No, it's... It's  _Dean_. Remember?"

Castiel chuckled, despite the tears blurring his vision. Claire and Jack were watching him with matching looks of concern; he hadn't let himself cry in front of them until this very moment. He's not sure if that was a good thing or not. Maybe it was better for them to see him this way, less worked up and more open. Parents were supposed to be open with their children, right? He had to learn to adapt to this new role of his, or else he'd never cope.

"If you won't let me drive you somewhere," he said, turning his head to face Dean. With his arm still wrapped around the man's shoulders, they seemed to be sitting very close. "Can I at least walk you to your car? I mean, your... baby?"

Dean licked his lips and grinned. "Uh, yeah. Sure. Awesome. That would be awesome."

When the four of them reached Dean's car (a sleek, black vehicle that Dean proudly described as a 67' Chevy Impala), Castiel was rewarded with an encouraging kick in the shin by Claire. The older twin gave him a look - a 'you better not back out of this' kind of look - and more or less shoved her finger in Dean's face. Let's just say, seven year olds aren't exactly masters at subtlety. Nonetheless, he appreciated the attempt. It certainly filled him with confidence to know that the twins approved of Dean; even Jack seemed quite attached, despite his natural wariness of new people. Castiel felt like the entire universe was nudging him towards this man, towards the rest of his life. And who was he to resist such a force?

"You can keep the coat," he said, catching Dean by surprise. He glanced down at the soggy trenchcoat hanging off his shoulders, then back at Castiel, his expression unreadable. "Just call me when you're ready to return it."

"But I don't have your -"

"Inside pocket, on the left."

Dean slipped his hand inside, smiling as his fingers closed around the scrap of paper he'd scribbled his number on. Castiel had no idea how much he would come to love that smile, or the man behind its beauty. But perhaps that was what made it special; the unknowing, the leap of faith, the willingness to be wild and reckless for once. If _this_  is what Jimmy had been talking about, then Castiel definitely understood the hype.

"If you're interested," he said, taking the twins' hands as a light rain started to drizzle from the clouds. "You could join us at the park tomorrow afternoon. We're going to be testing our new fleet in the pond."

Dean gave him a lopsided smile, his eyes bright against the rain-smudged sky. "It's a date."


End file.
